Newswise It looks like a neon light show-- pink, blue and magenta squiggles dancing in the darkness. These are not just pretty pictures, but protein receptors interacting within the membrane of a living cell. And to South Dakota State University cell biologist Shalini Low-Nam, they are an incredible sight and possibly an important step in understanding how diseases such as cancer affect the cells.

This is something that could not be done five or 10 years ago because the tools to do it did not exist, said Low-Nam, a postdoctoral research associate in the chemistry and biochemistry department. It was the unique tools available in assistant professor Adam Hoppes laboratory that drew Low-Nam to SDSU in October 2011 after completing her doctorate in biomedical sciences at the University of New Mexico.

In recognition of her potential as a researcher, Low-Nam has earned the prestigious National Institutes of Health Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award, which will support her work for the next two years.

This fellowship recognizes her potential as a future leading scientist, said Hoppe. I am incredibly fortunate to have her in my lab.

Low-Nams work will focus on a protein receptor called the macrophage colony stimulating factor or MCSF receptor, which controls the growth and development of the macrophage, a type of white blood cell.

Macrophages serve as one of the bodys defense mechanisms, Low-Nam explained. For her study, a lab technician takes bone marrow from mice and then allows them to mature into macrophages because they serve as a good model for human macrophages.

Macrophages go in and out of the blood to search out bacteria and viruses that require removal, she said. When they find them, they eat and digest the bacteria and other pathogens, thereby removing them from the body.

This transdisciplinary research is aimed at understanding the biochemical pathways in cells, Hoppe explained. Low-Nam will integrate ideas from chemistry, mathematics, physics and optics.

Shes an expert on this, said Hoppe, and an up-and-coming leader in the field. During her doctoral program, Low-Nam worked with single particle tracking, which looks at the motion of individual particles or molecules within the cell and its environment. She will combine this with other fluorescence-based strategies that allow her to tag specific proteins with substances and make them glow.

The lasers on Hoppes microscope then light up the fluorescent tags on the protein receptors, so she can see how they interact with one another and the cell membrane. This one-of-a-kind microscope lets her view as many as four different molecules at once, Low-Nam explained.

Excerpt from:
NIH Fellowship Supports Work on Protein Receptors at South Dakota State University